The South (Africans) will rise again

That’s right, even South Africa has rednecks… and though they might look and coif and dress kinda the same as their over-patriotic American brethren, these rednecks know how to rap.

Seeking to offend equally in both English and Afrikaans, untidy Cape Town, South African rap-rave triumvirate Die Antwoord’s videos are easily as bizarre as they are “next-level” (apparently the hip new adjective that everyone who’s anyone [including Die Antwoord themselves] uses to describe innovative music; pretty lame term, if you ask me). To be sure, their videos are really fucking well done, funny as hell (even if unintentionally) and about as visually arresting as an atomic blast.

But make no mistake, these people are rednecks—and I’m not stereotyping. Shit, they describe their own sound as “Zef” music (Afrikaans slang term for “redneck”). Think Gummo meets Jay-Z, on amphetamines.

I mean, with self-imposed names like Ninja (born Watkin Tudor Jones, which sounds just like “ninja”), Yo-Landi Vi$$er and DJ Hi-Tek, you better back that shit up with some kind of mad skillz (or some kind of mad shtick), lest you go the way of Vanilla Ice. And so far, so good for Die Antwoord (Afrikaans for “The Answer”). They’re already phenoms on the information superhighway, and not for their ineptitude.

While admittedly not a regular listener of the gangsta rap music, I simply have to admire their work on some fucked-up level or two. No matter how daft they sound in their interview, it’s damn original stuff. And I must reiterate, hilarious. Although personally, I find the video above far more palatable than Die Antwoord’s other one, Enter the Ninja.

Not to mention, the Dark Side of the Moon shorts shots are just precious.

07.21.2010 "Big," Macy Gray. For anyone seeking another Macy Gray album on par with "On How Life Is," look no further. Though not as instantly catchy, with repeated listenings it's simply euphoric. "Big" showcases Macy's highly under-appreciated wordsmithery, her peerless phrasing and that otherworldly helium voice—the most engaging and expressive female voice I've heard since Nina Simone.

02.18.2011 “Return to the Sea,” Islands. Following the brilliant, short, happy life of Montreal indie rock band The Unicorns and their gem, “Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone?” frontman Nick Diamonds and drummer J’aime Tambeur emerged from the ashes to form Islands—and one of the more compellingly quirky, epic, sprawling and distinctive albums known to man.

09.15.2011 "Fuzzy" and "Mighty Joe Moon," Grant Lee Buffalo. Part Wilco, part Eddie Vedder, part Elliott Smith. And yet, completely original. Why more people haven’t heard Grant Lee Buffalo is a crime against good taste. Two of the best albums of the ‘90s right here, masterfully written, voiced and shredded by Grant-Lee Phillips.

12.7.2011 "Mr. Wizard," R.L. Burnside. If this old school, north Mississippi juke joint bluesman doesn't (at the very least) get your head a-bobbin' or toe a-tappin', then you're fucked—because you have no soul. That's a fact. Burnside, a toothless, badass septuagenarian who's now passed away, shreds Mississippi Delta blues—right when it turned electric. Saw him in concert back in 2001, and it was easily one of the top 3 shows I've ever had the privilege to attend.